FM Qureshi emphasises need to promote ties between Pakistan, European countries

Uplift of Pakistani diaspora living abroad was among top priorities of incumbent government, says the foreign minister

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday emphasised the promotion of multifaceted bilateral ties including political and trade relations between Pakistan and European countries.

The foreign minister's remarks came during a visit by a member of the British House of Lords, Lord Wajid Khan in Islamabad.

"Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Britain," the foreign minister said adding that uplift of Pakistani diaspora living abroad was among top priorities of the incumbent government.

FM Qureshi further added that the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council's resolutions, was inevitable.

Lord Wajid Khan lauded the efforts of FM Qureshi for highlighting the Kashmir issue internationally and also assured his all-out cooperation in this regard.

He also apprised the foreign minister of the issues faced by the Pakistani community in UK and European countries owing to the coronavirus pandemic situation.

Read more: FM terms UK debate on IIOJK diplomatic win for Pakistan

Earlier in January, FM Qureshi hailed a debate in the British parliament on the worsening situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), terming it “another diplomatic victory" of Pakistan against India.

In a statement, the foreign minister emphasised that India was propagating that IIOJK was its internal issue but the British parliamentarians made it clear that it was a global issue on which many United Nations Security Council resolutions had been passed.

“This is not an internal matter of India at all,” Qureshi said, adding that India had been giving the impression to the world that the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir has returned to normal but the British parliamentarians exposed India’s false claims.